Archive for June 6th, 2009

You may have seen all of the 21st-century Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps, like me, you watched the original in the 70s. Maybe you’ve watched Caprica, and look forward to the new series.

Did you ever see Galactica 1980?

I didn’t. I remember commercials for it, but the channel it played on in my little town tended to cut out after lunchtime (this is before cable TV), so while I saw children in baseball uniforms flying around in morning commercials, I never did get to see the actual show. Until one late night around 2001, when all six episodes were played in a marathon on some TV station at my former in-laws in Ottawa. Me being me, I was wide awake, so I watched from start to finish.

The series was kack. You know this. It was a last-minute attempt to appease Battlestar Galactica fans; the original show was cancelled before the studio realized it had the makings of a hit, but by the time plans were finalized, most of the cast had moved on. And that first BSG was a ridiculously expensive show to make. Solution: jump ahead in time a generation, let stupid Boxey grow up to be the guy from Adam-12, put a beard on Adama and let the fleet find Earth. Also, add Nazis. If you think this all makes sense when you actually watch the show, no, it doesn’t. But it’s great cheesy TV fun, my kind of show.

This guy sums it up perfectly. Trust me, there are no spoilers. This show can’t be spoiled. It started stupid, and ended stupid. And I love it.